Humboldt County Sheriff's Office deputies served three search warrants on different marijuana grow operations in the Burr Valley area on Tuesday that all had extensive environmental damage, according to Lt. Steve Knight.

Knight said deputies and an environmental scientist from the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board served a Humboldt County Superior Court search warrant to the first location on Tuesday morning, where they found five greenhouses containing 800 growing marijuana plants ranging from 1 to 3 feet.

"The three locations don't seem to be related," Knight said. "Because they were all in remote areas, and there were not addresses posted near residences, officers used latitude and longitude coordinations."

According to a press release sent today from the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office, environmental damage on the first property consisted of stream diversions, a pond and a dam. No suspects were at the first location, but the investigation is ongoing and suspects may face charges for cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale and felony criminal and civil code violations of the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, according to the release.

Environmental scientist Stormer Feiler, who was at the scene, said the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act is part of the California water code.

"The North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board regulates the discharge of waste and pollutants to waters of the state and United States, and also waste discharges to land, and the act gives us the authority to do our job," Feiler said.

Today, David Leland, assistant executive officer of the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, said staff will look at what Feiler found.

"The regular process for evaluating these types of situations is once an inspection is complete, the inspector writes a report and reviews it with his or her supervisor, and that hasn't happened yet," Leland said. "In general, the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act provides for penalties of $5,000 to $25,000 per day of discharge, and $10 per gallon of discharge."

Knight said while driving to a second grow location, officials saw marijuana plants ranging from 2 to 3 feet tall being cultivated 6 feet off the roadway, and they stopped and obtained a search warrant. They found 256 growing plants and two loaded handguns. Knight said deputies will be seeking arrest warrants for at least three suspects in relation to this location for cultivation of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony and violating the Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act.

According to the release, there was also damage to streams and the hillside, and there were unpermitted roads.

At the day's third location, officials reported finding 874 growing marijuana plants, which ranged from 1 to 3 feet tall, in two greenhouses and one outdoor garden, according to the release. Sheriff's office deputies saw unpermitted road building and removal of timber, according to Knight. There were no water quality issues. Knight said there are at least two suspects believed to be involved with the third location, and deputies will seek arrest warrants for cultivation and possession of marijuana for sale and possible resource code violations.

Knight said Cal Fire and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife were notified of the resource code violations at the second and third locations.

"Our deputies are learning from the variety of agencies we're working with on how to spot different environmental violations," Knight said.

The sheriff's office asks anyone with information regarding the case or related criminal activity to call the office at 445-7251 or its crime tip line at 268-2539.